Don't Panic! Lighten Up!S


Heart

Kitten survives 6,500 mile, two-week trip in shipping container without food or water

David Ferguson
The Raw Story
Wed, 18 Jul 2012 18:50 UTC
Image
A 3-month-old kitten has survived a 6,500 mile, two-week trip from Shanghai, China to California. Although he was too weak to stand when he was found, the little world traveler is now recovering and taking his first steps.

Now named Ni Hao or "Hello" in Chinese, the foundling survived in a shipping container without food or water as the freighter carrying it crossed the Pacific. He was discovered when workers opened the container in Compton, California last week.

"Ni Hao greeted the medical team with his first meows this morning and is attempting to stand," said Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control official Marcia Mayeda.

Vet officials are looking for a cat-lover to adopt the orange and white kitten, who must remain in quarantine for 60 days. Doctors said, however, that if his health continues to improve, Ni Hao could finish his quarantine period in the home of a foster or adoptive family.
Read More...
Smiley

Wigged Out - What was the 17th Century craze for powdered wigs about?

Lucas Reilly
Mental Floss
Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:49 UTC
powdered wigs
© Unknown
For nearly two centuries, powdered wigs - called perukes - were all the rage. The chic hairpiece would have never become popular, however, if it weren't for a venereal disease, a pair of self-conscious kings, and poor hair hygiene.

The peruke's story begins like many others - with syphilis. By 1580, the STD had become the worst epidemic to strike Europe since the Black Death. According to William Clowes, an "infinite multitude" of syphilis patients clogged London's hospitals, and more filtered in each day. Without antibiotics, victims faced the full brunt of the disease: open sores, nasty rashes, blindness, dementia, and patchy hair loss. Baldness swept the land.

At the time, hair loss was a one-way ticket to public embarrassment. Long hair was a trendy status symbol, and a bald dome could stain any reputation. When Samuel Pepys's brother acquired syphilis, the diarist wrote, "If [my brother] lives, he will not be able to show his head - which will be a very great shame to me." Hair was that big of a deal.
Read More...
Smiley

Mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska is the cat's meow


The Independent
Sun, 15 Jul 2012 08:16 UTC
Stubbs mayor of Talkeetna AK
© Sandy BubarMayor Stubbs
The mayor of a sleepy Alaska town is feline fine.

The part-Manx cat clawed his way onto the political scene of Talkeetna, Alaska, through a write-in campaign shortly after he was born 15 years ago.

KTUU-TV reported ( http://bit.ly/LYvzBV) Friday that residents didn't like the mayoral candidates years ago, so they encouraged enough people to elect Stubbs as a write-in candidate. The town has nearly 900 residents.

Although his position is honorary, Stubbs' popularity is real. His election earned him enough press to catapult the town at the base of Mount McKinley into a tourist destination.
Read More...
Sun

New Yorkers Crack a Smile at 'Manhattanhenge'


LiveScience
Fri, 13 Jul 2012 11:36 UTC
Image
© Henry Sene YeeManhattanhenge on July 11 at 8:24 p.m.
Thousands of New Yorkers hit the streets Wednesday and Thursday at dusk to see the setting sun turn the Manhattan skyline into a Stonehenge-like sundial.

The event, dubbed "Manhattanhenge," happens on two sets of two consecutive days each summer when the sun hits the horizon exactly in line with New York City's rectangular grid, lighting up both the north and south sides of the city's cross streets. On Wednesday (July 11), the full orb could be seen perched at the horizon, whereas on Thursday (July 12), the true "Manhattanhenge," the sun tucked itself into bed perfectly in line with the streets.

Spectators snapped spectacular photos of Wednesday's show, and Twitter was atwitter with mentions of the celestial alignment. The sky didn't cooperate quite as well on Thursday, however; the sun was "trying very hard to peak through the clouds," said Twitter user Andrew Dallos. [Gallery of the Craziest Clouds]
Read More...
Question

Bigfoot Hair Sells for $225 at a Texas Auction; Is it Real?

David Strege
The Grind TV Blog
Mon, 09 Jul 2012 02:02 UTC
Bigfoot Hair_1
© Nacogdoches Auction
The Nacogdoches Auction in Nacogdoches, Texas, sold a vintage bedroom set, antique dolls, a 1950s Schwinn bicycle, antique furniture and a lock of hair from ... Bigfoot.

Wait, what?! Hair from Bigfoot?

Uh, yes, hair from Bigfoot, aka Sasquatch.

With a bid of $225, Steve Busti was the lucky winner for what actually appears to be hair from -- something.

"I'm excited," Busti said by phone soon after Saturday night's auction. "I'm really looking forward to having the hair tested. If they come back with some unusual result, it could really change things. This could really be like the smoking gun, if you will, that will prove the existence of this animal."

Busti owns the Museum of the Weird in Austin, Texas, and plans to add the hair to an existing Bigfoot exhibit that includes alleged Bigfoot tracks in plaster casts. Obviously, he is hoping the Bigfoot hair turns out to be authentic.

The lock of hair came in a plastic holder attached to a placard (shown above) that said it was "Certified Genuine BIGFOOT Hair."

To further confirm it was from Bigfoot, the sign also said, "This specimen was collected from a trap near Skookumchuck Lake, in Washington state as verified by witnesses. This specimen is certified as Lot #015 of 100."

Lucky for you, there are probably 85 more lots of Bigfoot hair somewhere out there for you to buy on the Internet.
Read More...
Bacon

Finally! The 100 percent ground bacon burger

Eric Pfeiffer
The Sideshow
Mon, 09 Jul 2012 22:56 UTC
100% bacon burger
© FacebookThe 'Merica, a 100% ground bacon burger
California burger chain Slater's 50/50 may be bringing home the bacon, now that its menu features a burger made of 100 percent ground bacon. Not to gild the lily, but the Fourth of July-inspired The 'Merica burger comes topped with a slice of thick-cut bacon, bacon island dressing, and bacon flavored cheddar cheese. It's only nonbacon topping is an impressive sunny-side-up egg.

Foodbeast notes that Slater's 50/50 has already made a name for itself by offering its flagship burger made of half ground beef and half ground bacon. Sadly, the three Slater's stores will only be offering the all-bacon burger through the end of July.

The month-long feature comes on the heels of previous burgers-of-the-month, including a Pulled Pork Burger and a Chili Cheese Frito Burger.

And if the bacon burger isn't enough for you, Slater's offers several other bacon-themed novelties, including a bacon brownie and the Bakon Mary, a twist on the Bloody Mary cocktail featuring bacon-infused vodka, a rim of bacon salt and a slice of thick-cut bacon as garnish.
Read More...
Smiley

Cat Climbs onto TV Reporter's Shoulder During Live Broadcast

Eric Pfeiffer
The Sideshow
Fri, 06 Jul 2012 21:44 UTC

On Thursday, Fox 17 reporter Nicole DiDonato was delivering her live report on ways to beat the summer heat when a stray cat suddenly climbed up onto her shoulder. We've all heard of newshounds. But what would you call this breaking news kitty? A repurrter?

Amazingly, DiDonato remains mostly composed as the cat climbs up the back of her leg, then comes to rest on her shoulder. When the camera cuts back to the news studio in Grand Rapids, Mich., the Fox 17 anchors note that they heard meowing off-screen while DiDonato was preparing to go live with her report.

After the report, DiDonato took to her Twitter account, noting that she's a cat owner ("I actually already have two strays I took home from the last two cities I worked in!"), which may have encouraged the stray to jump into the show:

"Learned my lesson: Never making eye contact with a cat before a live tease ever again," she wrote.

Mediaite described the cat as "rude," but how could anyone be mad at such an adorable little guy vying for attention?

However, DiDonato also said she won't be adding a third stray to her home, writing, "One reason I can't take in another cat ... even if I wanted to. His sister is busy knocking papers off a desk."
Read More...
Black Cat

World's First Security Cat Guards Toy Warehouse


Weborange.co.uk
Thu, 21 Jun 2012 08:42 UTC
Image
© Unknown
A toy warehouse in Southampton says it has employed the world's first security cat.

Millie the Bengal cat has been hired to help guard some of the UK's best-selling toy ranges.

Bandai's warehouse was on the lookout for a new security guard when workers spotted the attentive moggy roaming around the factory floor.
Read More...
USA

Satire: New Study Finds 85% Of Americans Don't Know All The Dance Moves To National Anthem


Theonion.com
Wed, 04 Jul 2012 06:29 UTC
Image
© UnknownHistorians say the energetic, multipart dance routine was once a vital American tradition.
Boston - According to a survey published Wednesday by historians at Boston University, more than 85 percent of Americans are unfamiliar with the upbeat, traditional dance routine intended to accompany the singing of the national anthem.

Once taught in the nation's elementary schools, showcased at the start of all sporting events, and included as part of the exam for new U.S. citizens, the patriotic kicks, dips, waves, and twirls from The Star-Spangled Banner have nearly vanished from the public consciousness over the past century, the study found.

"From a historical perspective, it came as quite a shock that nearly nine out of 10 Americans could not recall more than a single step of what was, for many years, an essential part of civic life," said Kenneth P. O'Neill, who co-authored the report. "Most people are familiar with the dance's iconic first move, placing one's right hand over one's heart. But when we asked them what comes next - placing the left hand over the right and pumping back and forth - people had no idea what we were talking about."
Read More...
Smiley

Man Has 42 English Cathedrals Licked

Madeleine Davies
Church Times
Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:48 UTC
Church Licker
© Church Times, UK
Worcester was "exceedingly gritty and salty" and Durham was "disappointingly bland", but none came close to the horror of the "foul, sickly sweet" Wakefield.

When Lawrence Edmonds agreed to a bet to lick every Anglican cathedral in the UK, he had little idea of what taste to expect. After travelling more than 5000 miles on his quest, which began in January last year, he has become quite the connoisseur.

"Not only is Lichfield Cathedral quite tasty: it is also an incredibly attractive building," he writes on his blog, which is a testament to his appreciation of ecclesiastical architecture as much as its flavour. Mr Lawrence, a 26-year-old employee of English Heritage, said that he was stunned by the "complex and beautiful" fan-vaulting at Gloucester Cathedral, and moved by the way in which he sensed that Coventry Cathedral "exudes an atmosphere of forgiveness" ("I just hope that that they will forgive me for licking it").
Read More...